Systems based on cameras and image processors, for counting objects and measuring volumes, are well known. Such systems are limited to counting or measuring specifically predefined objects or volumes in restricted working environments.
Related art references considered to be relevant as a background to the invention are listed below and their contents are incorporated herein by reference. Acknowledgement of the references herein is not to be inferred as meaning that these are in any way relevant to the patentability of the invention disclosed herein. Each reference is identified by a number enclosed in square brackets and accordingly the prior art will be referred to throughout the specification by numbers enclosed in square brackets.                [1] U.S. Pat. No. 6,697,104 “Video Based System And Method For Detecting And Counting Persons Traversing An Area Being Monitored”.        [2] WO9110972 “Apparatus For Counting Sheets Lying On Each Other In A Stack”        [3] U.S. Pat. No. 6,738,723 “Pharmacy Pill Counting Vision System”.        [4] U.S. Pat. No. 6,137,855 “Corrugated Sheet Counter”.        [5] EP0743616 “Apparatus And Method For Counting Sheets”.        [6] U.S. Pat. No. 6,098,029 “Liquid-Level Position Measuring Method And System”.        [7] U.S. Pat. No. 6,516,661 “Volume Measurement System And Method For Volume Element Counting”.        
U.S. Pat. No. 6,697,104 [1] discloses a video based system and method for detecting and counting persons traversing at least two areas being monitored. The method includes the steps of initialization of at least one end unit, having at least a camera, the camera producing images of at least a first area being monitored and a second area being monitored, digitizing the images and storing the digitized images in a non-volatile memory unit and a working memory unit; detecting potential persons in the images; comparing the digitized images of objects detected in the first area and second area being monitored with digitized images stored in the working memory unit to determine whether the detected object is a new figure in such area or whether the detected object is a known figure that has remained within such area and to determine that a figure which was not detected has left such area; incrementing a counter for such area with an indication of the number of persons that have passed through such area, and comparing the number of persons passing through a first area with the number of persons passing through a second area.
WO No. 9110972 [2] discloses an Apparatus for counting sheets lying on each other, including: (I) a camera which is positioned in front of one side of the stack of sheets and is movable along the vertical extension of the stack side and has a beam path which presents (i) an objective, which is directed towards the stack side; (ii) an opening which is in the form of a slit such that light emanating from the side edge of one sheet at a time can pass through the opening; (iii) a photodetector which registers the light passing through the opening; (II) a light source arranged for vertical movement along the stack side and which at a substantially constant intensity obliquely illuminates the stack side; (III) mean with which the light intensity value is assigned to the position on the stack side at which the value was measured; (IV) mean with which the total number of sheets in the stack are calculated based on light intensity values.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,738,723 [3] discloses a semi-automated pill counting system using digital imaging technology and image recognition software including a modified Hough Transform. The system comprises a light source; a modified pharmacist's tray; a digital camera; and a personal computer (PC), with the PC storing and executing the image recognition software. A roughly estimated number of pills are placed upon the tray and illuminated by the light source, whereafter a digital image of the pills is produced by the camera and sent via an interface to the PC. The image recognition software counts the pills present in the image and displays a count result. Based upon the count result, the pharmacist adds or removes pills to the tray, as appropriate, to complete the process.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,137,855 [4] discloses a device for counting the number of corrugated articles in a stack of corrugated articles includes a light source for illuminating a multi-article containing surface of the stack of corrugated articles. An electro-optical image capturing camera captures a first visual image frame of a first segment of the multi-article containing surface, and a signal converting means converts the first visual image frame into a first electronic frame signal representative of the first visual image frame. A central processing unit, a frame grabber circuit and software process the first electronic frame signal into a first series of article signals representative of the series of individual articles of the first segment of the multi-article containing surface. The processor also counts the number of individual articles in the first series of article signals. The camera is mounted on a belt track assembly and movable by a stepper motor from a first position to a second position for permitting the camera to capture a second visual image frame of a second segment of the multi-article containing surface.
EP Patent No. 0743616 [5] discloses an apparatus and method for counting sheets of thin media is provided by illuminating with an LED array the edge of a plurality of sheets. A linear CCD array camera receives the reflected light from the sheets, and generates a signal waveform responsive to variations in the reflected light corresponding to the sheets. A digitizer then converts the signal into a digital signal waveform for storage in a video buffer. The stored signal waveform is thereafter processed along one dimension of said edge using a digital signal processor for locating the positions of the sheets in the waveform, and then counting the sheets. Preferably, the linear CCD array camera provides a one-dimensional image of the edge however a two-dimensional CCD array may be used with additional signal processing to translate its two-dimensional signal into a one-dimensional signal. The apparatus further can locate in the signal waveform rigid portions called stiffener boards which border the plurality of sheets or lie at intervals between the sheets.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,098,029 [6] discloses an invention designated to measure the height of a liquid surface automatically by an image processing. The situation over a side wall and the situation of the liquid surface in the image, as taken from an ITV camera, of the neighborhood of the liquid surface are image-analyzed to estimate the boundary position between the side wall and the liquid surface thereby to determine the position of the liquid surface on the image, and the liquid-surface position on the image is transformed from an image coordinate system to a real spatial coordinate system to determine a real position of the liquid surface.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,516,661 [7] discloses a volume measurement system uses volume element counting in determining the amount of a liquid such as fuel in an irregularly-shaped container such as a fuel tank which can have changing orientation. The container is conceptually divided up into a plurality of volume elements. An orientation sensor determines the orientation of the container or of the liquid surface, which is approximated as a plane. A computational or optical processor uses orientation data to project vectors representing the volume elements onto a direction normal to the liquid interface plane. These projected distances are then arithmetically or optically compared to the location of the liquid interface plane.
There is a need in the art for a system and method for counting objects and measuring volumes which is easily operated and can be used for various applications and is not limited to a specifically designated, object, task or environment.